Copper

Latin America remained the most popular exploration destination, attracting 25% of global explorations spending in 2011, said to the Halifax-based Metals Economics Group's World Exploration Trends report released on Sunday.

Glencore on Monday expressed surprise over health and environment officials in Zambia's decision to immediately close a Mopani copper operation over complaints from residents of a nearby town. The London-listed commodities giant is also set to appear before a British inquiry over tax avoidance in the developing world.

Ivan Glasenberg, CEO of  Glencore International stands to receive dividends worth roughly $110 million on Monday when the commodities giant announces its maiden full-year payment to shareholders.

Two of Zambia's largest copper mines, Glencore's Mopani and Xstrata's Kansanshi were shut over the weekend; the former over health concerns and the other after workers downed tools.

Copper inventories in warehouses monitored by the Shanghai Futures Exchange rose to their highest in nearly a decade, data showed yesterday, suggesting oversupply in top copper consumer China where demand has been slower than expected.

A new survey by The Economist Intelligence Unit finds when institutional investors interested in frontier markets were asked to choose two regions out of five, two-thirds see Africa – projected to be the fastest growing region on the planet this year – as holding the greatest opportunity.

Chinese-owned mining company Ecuacorriente will sign a contract to invest $1.4 billion over five years for extracting copper in Ecuador's southern Amazon, reports local newspaper La Republica.

Zambia Daily Mail reports that workers at the Kansanshi copper mine have gone on strike.

After steady gains throughout the day Ivanhoe Mines – building one of the richest copper and gold mines in the world – ended Thursday up 5.47% after CEO and founder Robert Friedland said he's found buyers for the company's other assets.